(RICHMOND, Ind.) – The Wilmington College men's basketball team picked up a 69-68, overtime victory over the Earlham College Quakers in the first men's basketball matchup of the Quaker Bowl since 2019.
Earlham went ahead 11-6 over the first six minutes of the game, before Wilmington made a 6-0 push to take a slight 12-11 advantage with 12:27 remaining in the first half. Matthew Dugue, Jayden Lewis, and Carson Miles all scored during this sequence for the Quakers. Neither team would gain a distinct advantage in the first half, as they went into the locker room all knotted up at 26-26.
Wilmington jumped out to a 39-35 lead in the second half, with 14:40 remaining in regulation. However, Earlham took complete control after that and used a 14-3 run to take a 49-42 lead with 9:04 to play. The Quakers hung in there though and started to chip away at the deficit. Eventually a Domenic Farley layup completed the comeback and tied the game at 60-60 with just 2:07 left. A pair of Rashid Chisholm free throws were good after a foul and gave the Quakers a 62-60 lead with 1:21 left in the game. However, a successful Earlham jumper and a missed three-pointer from each side sent the game to overtime.
Each team took a lead early on in overtime, but it was Earlham who held a 67-65 advantage with 3:12 remaining. A Farley jumper erased that deficit and tied the game back up at 67-67. The score stayed that way for over a minute until a foul by Wilmington turned into Earlham converting on one of two free throws to take a 68-67 lead.
Once again, Farley was the go-to guy for the Quakers, burying a jumper from just outside the paint to take the 69-68 lead with just 35 seconds to play. Obed Achirem came away with a steal on the following possession, but Farley missed his one-and-one free throw to give Earlham another chance. Earlham drove down the court and took a contested shot where Farley made up for his miss, swatting the jumper and sealing the win for Wilmington.
Head coach Micah Mills had this to say about the team after their victory, "Our guys stuck together and stayed mentally strong through the whole game. Honestly that's the only way you win on the road. Earlham made some really tough shots and good plays at key times, but our guys never got discouraged. So proud of the whole team today!"
Mills on his junior guard Domenic Farley, "Dom was a dog tonight! He made some high-level reads on the offensive side and then with the game on the line comes up with the key block. His competitiveness bleeds into our whole team."
Notables
- This is Wilmington's first win over Earlham College since Nov. 28, 2018.
- This is Wilmington's first overtime win since they beat Baldwin Wallace University 79-77 on January 12th, 2019.
- Domenic Farley led the game in scoring with a career-high 22 points.
- Farley also recorded four rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block.
- Obed Achirem led the team with six rebounds and had three steals.
- Gavin Heimlich blocked two shots.
What's Up Next
The Quakers open up at home on Hermann Court Monday night against the Franklin College Grizzlies at 7:00 P.M.
